At a glance
- When
- Thursday 31 December 2026; both events run 6pm to 9pm, with fireworks at 9pm
- Where
- Leagues Club Park, Georgiana Terrace, Gosford, and Memorial Park, Marine Parade, The Entrance
- Cost
- Free; both are drug and alcohol-free family events
- Road closures at Gosford
- Several streets near the stadium close from 6am, Georgiana Terrace from 11am and the Brian McGowan Bridge during the fireworks
- Train
- Gosford station is wheelchair accessible, with lifts to every platform and pathways to the event site 450 metres away
- Who it’s for
- Families and groups on the Central Coast, or visiting from Sydney and Newcastle, choosing where to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks
- What to do now
- Pick Gosford or The Entrance, and if you pick Gosford, plan around the road closures and the Mariners match
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the Love Central Coast event pages for each venue and the stadium’s event page
- Not yet confirmed
- The live music line-up at both venues, the stadium match details, extra trains and buses, and closures at The Entrance (none published)
Central Coast has two free New Year’s Eve events on Thursday 31 December 2026, one at Leagues Club Park in Gosford and one at Memorial Park in The Entrance. Each runs from 6pm to 9pm, each ends with fireworks at 9pm, and each is drug and alcohol-free, according to the event pages on Love Central Coast. Gosford has the longer list of road closures, and the Gosford fireworks follow a Central Coast Mariners A-League match at polytec Stadium, so most of this guide is about Gosford.
What is on at Gosford and The Entrance?
| Gosford | The Entrance | |
|---|---|---|
| Place | Leagues Club Park, Georgiana Terrace | Memorial Park, Marine Parade |
| Time | 6pm to 9pm | 6pm to 9pm |
| Fireworks | 9pm, after the Mariners A-League game | 9pm |
| Music | Live music line-up to be confirmed | Live music line-up to be confirmed |
| Also on | Food trucks and stalls, roving performers, amusements | Food trucks and stalls, roving performers, amusements, kids’ activities |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Both pages describe the nights as celebrating the last sunset of 2026 and say the fireworks welcome 2027. Both list the phone number 02 4306 7900 for enquiries. The Love Central Coast page at lovecentralcoast.com/newyearseve was still showing the 2025 version of the event when we read it on 31 October (it said Wednesday 31 December and a welcome to 2026), so we have not used it. Only the two event pages for 2026 are the sources here.
Which streets close at Gosford on New Year’s Eve?
The Gosford page lists six closures. It does not name who is closing them or say what diversion is in place, so the page leaves that open.
| Street | What is closed | From |
|---|---|---|
| Georgiana Terrace | Between Dane Drive and Baker Street | 11am |
| Baker Street | Between Georgiana Terrace and Vaughan Avenue | 6am |
| Vaughan Avenue | Closed | 6am |
| Alfred Higgs Place | Closed | 6am |
| Dane Drive | Between Central Coast Highway and Donnison Street; the right-turn lane from Donnison Street into Dane Drive | 3:30pm |
| Brian McGowan Bridge | Closed for the duration of the fireworks, at the conclusion of the A-League match, between 8:45pm and 9:15pm | 8:45pm to 9:15pm |
Baker Street matters for parking, because the Gosford City car park is at 1 Baker Street. The Brian McGowan Bridge closure is the one to plan around if you are driving to or from the stadium: the stadium’s driving directions cross that bridge on the Central Coast Highway into Gosford.
What is the Mariners match on New Year’s Eve?
The Gosford event page says the fireworks follow the Mariners A-League game. The polytec Stadium What’s On page lists it as the “NYE Double Header – CCM v Melbourne City” on Thursday 31 December 2026 at 6:00pm. The stadium’s event page for it says only “Check back soon for more details”, so the stadium has not yet said what the double header is, what time the second game starts or how much tickets cost. Our polytec Stadium getting there guide covers the ground itself.
How do I get to Gosford by train?
The Gosford page says Gosford railway station is wheelchair accessible, with lifts to all platforms and connecting pathways to the event site, 450 metres away. The stadium says regular trains run to Gosford from Sydney’s CBD, the North Shore and Newcastle, and asks you to use an Opal card or a contactless payment card or device. The stadium also says Gosford station is about 300m from the stadium, and the event page puts the event site 450 metres from the station.
Neither page gives New Year’s Eve train times, and neither names extra services. Train times for the night are on the Transport for NSW Trip Planner (transportnsw.info), which the stadium names for train information. If you are coming from Sydney, our Sydney to Central Coast train fares guide explains the Opal fares.
Where can I park near Leagues Club Park?
The sources do not give a New Year’s Eve parking price, and Baker Street, next to the Gosford City car park, closes from 6am. The stadium’s pages list the Gosford City car park (about 100m from the stadium), the Gosford station car park (about 300m, by Opal card with a valid train journey) and Central Coast Leagues Club. Central Coast Council’s page says the Gosford City car park charges a flat fee on public holidays and weekends and a special event fee, and says the event hours are advertised at the entry on the day. 31 December is a Thursday and not a public holiday, so the council’s mid-week rule says casual rates apply, but it does not say whether this night counts as a special event, so read the sign.
| Time parked (Levels 2 to 5) | Casual rate |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 hour | $3.20 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $4.50 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $5.70 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $7.00 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $9.30 |
| 5 to 6 hours | $11.30 |
| 6 to 7 hours | $12.60 |
| Over 7 hours | $14.10 (maximum all-day fee until midnight) |
The council’s weekday hours for the car park are 6am to 8pm, and it says the car park is open for special events in addition to those hours. It also says all users can exit at any time after hours, paying at the Pay Station on the ground level or through the Scan to Pay QR code. In-person security release after closing may add an after-hours release fee of $77.20. These figures are from the council’s page as read on 20 October 2026.
What access is there at the two events?
| Feature | Gosford | The Entrance |
|---|---|---|
| Sensory space | Yes | Yes |
| Free earplugs | Yes | Yes |
| Accessible toilets | Accessible toilet in Leagues Club Park | Accessible toilets in Memorial Park |
| Sealed roads and pathways | Yes | Yes |
| Service animals | Welcome | Welcome |
| Other | Variety of seating options; disability confident trained staff | Accessible parking spaces; an Auslan interpreter |
What do we know about The Entrance?
The Entrance page is shorter than the Gosford one. It gives the event time as 6pm to 9pm, the place as Memorial Park on Marine Parade, a fireworks finale at 9pm and kids’ activities. It lists no road closures, no train or bus information and no parking advice. That does not mean there will be no closures, only that the page does not list any. Our ChromeFest guide shows what the council published for a large October event at The Entrance, but it is not a guide to New Year’s Eve.
Quick plan for the night
- Choose your venue: Gosford (Leagues Club Park) or The Entrance (Memorial Park). Both are free, run 6pm to 9pm and finish with fireworks at 9pm.
- Going to Gosford by train: get off at Gosford, tap on with an Opal or contactless card. The stadium asks for Opal or contactless payment.
- Going to Gosford by car: expect Baker Street, Vaughan Avenue and Alfred Higgs Place to be closed from 6am, Georgiana Terrace from 11am and Dane Drive from 3:30pm.
- Crossing the Brian McGowan Bridge: it closes for the fireworks, from the end of the A-League match between 8:45pm and 9:15pm.
- Leave the alcohol at home: both events are drug and alcohol-free.
- Still to be announced: the live music line-up, the stadium’s match details and any extra transport.
Sources
- Love Central Coast — New Year’s Eve at Gosford 2026 (checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — New Year’s Eve at The Entrance 2026 (checked 31 October 2026)
- polytec Stadium — What’s On (checked 31 October 2026)
- polytec Stadium — Getting Here (checked 21 October 2026)
- Central Coast Council — Parking (Gosford City Car Park) (checked 20 October 2026)
Featured image: Gosford City Centre from Drifters Wharf, December 2025 (photo: Frazerater / CC0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Central Coast Council, Love Central Coast, polytec Stadium, Central Coast Mariners or Transport for NSW. Times and rules can change; check the official pages above before you travel.